Hydraulic turbine.



-A. PPAU.

HYDRAULIC TURBIN E. APPLICATION TILED FEELS. 1912.

1,023,585.. Patented Apr/i6, 1912.

FEE --2- WITNESSEE- WAR 5 .to'r. Direct connected single discharge twinted, as already referred to hereinabove as in UNITED STATES PATENToFrIoE.

IQNOLD IFAU, OF MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN, ASSIGNOB TO ALLIS-CHALMERS GOM-PANY, OF MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN,

HYDRAULIC TURBIN 1,023,585. Specification or To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, AnnonnPrnma citizen of the Republic of Switzerland,residing at Milwaukee, in the county of Milwaukee and State ofWisconsin, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement inHydraulic Turbines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to hydraulic turbines of the Francis type, thatis, hydraulic turbines where there is a re-active end thrust of thewater upon the runner.

The object of the invention is to Jrovide means for balancing thenatural en thrust of the turbine in the most efficient way with theleast number of bearings.

More specifically, the object of the invention is to provide a twinarrangement of this type of turbine directly connected to an electricgenerator, each unit of the twin arrangement being a single dischargeFrancis turbine.

Heretofore Francis turbines have been built as independent units havingat least two bearings so that each could be operated by itself withoutbeing connected to a generator. Exceptionally, turbines were designedfor direct connection to electric generators, in which the turbinebearing next the generator was omitted and the generator bearing nearestthe turbine made to serve for the omitted bearing. Direct connected sinle discharge Francis turbines have beenma e in which the angulardischarge pipe was located remote from the, generator, or with suchdischarge pipe near said generaturbines'have been made in which theturbine has been arranged at one side of .the generator and with thedischarge of the turbine common between the two units, or separate witha common runner casing between them. In all of the four cases justreferred to, however, it was necessary to provide a thrust bearing andit was usual to make one of the two turbine bearings a thrust bearingfor the purpose of taking up the end thrust where the one runner wasused and for the purpose of taking up the difference in end thrust wherethe two runners were used in the twin arrangement. In the fourarrangements of turbine referred to, the turbine bearing nearest thegenerator could be omit- A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

Letters Patent. Patented Apr. 16, 19 12.

Application filed February 9, 1912. Serial No. 876,541.

the case of the single runner machine, but it was also necessary to keepthe remaining bearing to serve as a thrust hearing.

In the development of t-helinvention application for patent for whichhas been filed Feb. 20, 1911, Serial No. 609,573, the end thrust of asingle discharge F rancisturbine is taken up hydraulically by providingpressure chambers on both sides of the runner.

ing up the end thrust, a mechanical thrust bearing is provided forsafety. It isfound that it is unnecessary to provide the me chanical endthrust bearing even for starting and that the-hydraulic means providedis entirely sufiicientbt .all times to take up the endthrust. The'fesultof this discovery is the production of a: single discharge Franso thatthe runner" is entirely overhung on the generator shaft a d there are noturbine bearings whatever. e practical development of this machine'ow'ever, is in the twin arrangement in whi a similar single dischargeFrancis turbine is'located on each side of the generator, each of therunners being overhung on the generator bearings, and the invention is'50 presented herein.

In the drawing, Figure 1 is a. diagrammatic sectional plan view of adirect connected twin single discharge Francis turlar machine havinghigher speed characteristics and therefore necessitating separatebalancing pistons.

In the drawing the electric generator which has two bearings 2, 3, hasits shaft 4 of the turbines t8, having the usual inlets 9, 10, and theangular discharge pipes 11, 12. Pressure balancing chambers 13, 14, 15,16, are formed in the turbine casing on both 17, 18, 19, 20, theretobeing between cylindrical surfaces so as to be of practically constantsection; while the discharg passages 190, 200, 21, 22 therefrom are frmed between plane surfaces which, at each respective discharge passage,by approaching and receding from each other, very he cross section ofthe passage aocordin ly. The pressure balancing chambers 14, 4, on thegenerator side of the turbine, dischargeto extended at each end so as.to mount thereon fixed against end thrush-the runners 5, 6,

sides of the runners -5, 6, the inlet passages In addition to thishydraulic means for takcis turbine direct connected to a generator bine;and Fig. 2 is a similar view of a simiv other chambers 23, 24, which arein communication throu h orts 25 and 26 in the runners with the isc ar epipes 11, 12.

In the operation the machine shown 1n 6 Fig. 1,'the balancing isautomatically accomplished by the pressure of the water m pressurebalancing chambers 13, 14, 15, 16,

the ressure in chambers 13, 15, at the right f the runners 5, 6,increasing as the rotatparts move to the right by reason of the renotion of the size of the passages 190. 21, also at the right of therunners 5, 6. At the same time the enlargement of the discharge passages200, 22, at the left of the respective runners 5, 6, brings about areduction of pressure of the water in chambers 14, 16 at the left of therespective runners 5, 6, and so the rotating parts are moved back towardthe left to overcome the abnormal end thrust which caused motion of therotating parts to the right.

In the machine shown in Fig. 2, the generator 1 is provided withbearings 2, 3' for the shaft 4', the ends of which are extended in thesame way to provide for the mounting of the overhung runners 5, 6 of theturbines, 7, 8' having hi h speed characteristics, that is, having therunners shaped with flarin passa e portions 51, 61. The turbine casings,as fore, have inlets 9', 10 and angular discharge pi cs 11, 12. Onaccount of the flaring disc arge portions 51, 61, it is preferable toomit the pressure balancing chambers corresponding to those, 13. 16,remote from the generator in Fig. 1, but similar pressure balancedchambers 14, 15, are as before provided on the genera tor side of therespective'runners 5, 6. To serve in lieu of the omitted pressurebalancing chambers, shafts 27, 28, smaller than the main shaft 4', areconnected to the ends of the shaft 4' and extend through the angulardischarge pipes 11', 12', pressure balancing chambers 29. bein formedin, these pipes ad'acent the stufiing xes 31, 32, around the en 5 of theshafts 27, 28. Balanced pistons 33, 34, are fixed to the shafts 27 28,to close the 0 enings from the chambers 29, 30, into the is'charge pipes11, 12, forming discharge passages 190', 22' formed between lanesurfaces. Pipes 35, 36, connect chamers 29 30, to the respective turbinecasings, and valves 37, 38, control the flow through said pipes. Theressure balancing chamhere 14' 15' on t e generator side of the turbinedischar e through passa s 200', 21 to other chem rs 23, 24', w ich arein V communication thro h ports 25', 26', in Zip; r1u2nners 5', 6', withe discharge pipes The operation of the machine shown in 2 isessentially the same as that of Fig. 1, the pressure in chambers. 29,15, servin' to move the rotating parts to the 66 left, w e the pressurein chambers 14, 30,

serves to move the rotating parts to the right.

It should be observed that if one of the turbines in the case of eitherof the machines illustrated in the drawing, becomes disabled so that itmust be shut down, the other may still be operated and the pressurebalancing means of the operating turbine will be suilicicnt to balancethe rotating parts' The machine can be operated even to the extent ofdismantling one entire turbine. This, of

ing turbine. The overhung runners dispense with special turbine bearingsand the twin machine makes a symmetric and commercially superiormachine.

The term electric generator has been used throughout the specification,but this refers to one specific application of the invention, thebroader term energy absorber, meaning any device consuming energy, ismcluded in the invention as defined by the claims.

It should be understood that it is not desired to be limited to theexact details of construction shown and described, for obviousmodifications will occur to a person skilled in the art.

It is claimed and desired to secure by Letters Patent,--

1. The combination of an energy absorber having two main bearings andhaving its shaft extended beyond one of said bearings, an overhungFrancis turbine runner fixed against end thrust on the extension of theshaft, a turbine casing having its discharge angle remote from thenearer of said bearmg parts.

2. The combination of an energy absorber having two main bearings andhaving its shaft extended, an overhung Francis turbine runner fixedagainst end thrust on each of the extensions of the shaft, a turbinecasing for each runner having its discharge angle remote from the nearerof said bearlugs, and means 'for end balancing the rotating parts.

3. Thecombination of an ener having two main bearings andaving its shaftextended, an overhun Francis turbme runner fixed against an thrust oneach absorber 1 gs, and means for end balancing the rotat- Qf theeiigensiens' of the shajt, d h 1 ts lsc arge an} for each rugndr havinggle remotefi'bm the nearer (1f Saw-hearings,

'sa'x'd wipers. M 'm lh'e combination of an ene" V absorber the mmwmts,each of said, end balanc ing mean s ing adapted t6 balance. one, qf

' he il g idmain'beepings and axing its Shaft extended, nverhung-Francis turbine run'ne1-.fixed against end on each of'theextenidns of the Shaft, a turbine casing for each ifunner having itsdischarge v i angle feinote from the nearer ,of said bear mgs; and meanson either side of said ab"- 15,

-' theinvenfor is aflixed hereto in the presence '20 vof twoARNOLD.-PFAU.

Witnesses; e

CHAS. L. .B'mofl, G. F. Dr: Wm.

